Shoe-closure fastener



Patented Get. 14, 1924.

UNITED STATES SHOE-CLOSURE FASTENER.

Application filed February 21,1924. Serial No. 654,259.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK T. MALIH,

a citizen of Yugoslavia, residing at Nade- The primary object of theinvention is to provide a shoe closure fastener embodying a plurality ofseparate link members carried by one edge of the shoe upper while theopposite edge of the shoe upper is provided with a pair of spaced Iopenings through which the link members vare ex tended with thelinkmembers interlocked with each other to for-Ina closure for the shoeupper.

l/Vith the above and other objects in view that will appear as thenature of the inyention is better understood, the same consists of thenovel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters designatecorresponding parts throuohout the several views.

) v 1,511,899; PATENT orricru"- FRANK 'I. MALIlI JH, OF WAD-SV/"ORTH,OHIO.

Figure 8 shows side and edge elevational views of the upper link withwhich the lockmg llnk 1s associated, and V V I i Figure 9 shows side andedge elevationzil views of one of the remaining group-of linkslReferring more in detail to the accent panying drawing, there isillustrated ashoe upper wherein the meeting. edges 1 and 2 Fig. 4, thefastening devices being permanently carried by the underlying section 1and adapted to be individually passed through slotted openings 3 in theouter overlying section 2 for interlocking engagement with each otheroutwardlythereof. v

The fastening devices are in the form of a plurality of independent linkmembers supported by pins of eye formation, the

loop eyes 4 being" carriedby a shank ,5 that has a button 6 upon theother end thereof, the eye shanks 5 passing through spaced verticallyalin'ed openings 7 inthe undenlying upper section 1 and permanentlyretained therein by the strip 8 overlying the buttons 6 and stitchedalong its edges to the adjacent face of the upper section 1. thisconstruction beingv clearly illustrated in Fig.4.

'infl Formation marl hmrino nrolntivnlxi nvirla plurality oflinksl) ofthe formbest thereof overlie each other as illustrated in Fig. 9 andhaving an opening 20 in one end thereof to receive an eye 4; while thebody of the link 19 is provided with a longitudinally extending slottedopening 21 that is traversed by a cross slot 22, the outer wall of whichis centrally notched as at 23 and further provided with inwardlyextending lugs 24.

\Vhen all of the link members 5). 15 and 19 have been projected throughthe slotted openings in the overlying section 2 of the shoe upper, thelowermost link has the superposed one extended through theopeningz; 10thereof with the eye 4 supporting the upper links also projectingthrough said link openings. The several links are interengaged with eachother in this manner and as illustrated in Fig. l with the link 19extend ed through the opening in the uppermost link of the typeillustrated in Fig. 9. The locking link 15 is then shifted to the posi'tion shown in Fig. 2 to aline the major transverse axis thereof with thelongitudinal slotted opening 21 in the link 19 and during which time therectangular eye 12 is disposed for free passage through the cross slot22 in the link 19. When the locking link 15 and eye 12 have beencompletely projected through the link 19, the eye 12 is moved to disposeone side edge of the eye 12 in the central notch 23 of the link 19 withthe lugs 24 engaging the adjacent sides of the eye. The locking link 15is then permitted to drop to the vertical position as illustrated inFig. 1. due to the cutaway portion 17 forming a clearance with respectto the side walls of the eye 12 for such movement and as the lockinglink 15 is solid and slightly weighted the samewill always assume adepending or hanging position as illustrated to insure the properlocking of the several link members and the retention of the uppersections 1 and 2 of the shoe in closed position.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention it is nevertheless to be understood that minorchanges may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention as claimed.

What is claimedas new is 1. In a closure fastener for shoe uppers, aplurality of links carried by one side of the shoe upper, the other sideof the shoe upper having slits therein through which the links areprojected with the links interlocked with each other outwardly of theslits, the two upper links constituting looking members for the seriesof interlocked links.

2. In a closure fastener for shoe uppers, a plurality of links carriedby one side of the shoe upper adapted for projection through the otherside of the upper for interlocking 3 each other outwardly of the slits,the two upper links constituting locking inemloers for the series ofinterlocked links; and eye members supporting the links capable of r0-tary movement in. the shoe upper.

4. In a closure fastener for shoe uppers, a plurality of links carriedby one side of the shoe upper adapted for projection throughthe otherside of the upper for interlocking connection with each other, a lockinglink for retaining the links in interlocked condition located at theupper end of the series of links, eye-members supporting the linkscapable of rotary movement in the shoe upper, the link adjacent theupper link having crossed slots therein and the upper link projectedthrough the longitudinal slot of the adjacent link and subsequentlytwisted out of alinement with the. longitudinal slot.

5. In a closure fastener for shoe uppers, a plurality of links carriedby one side of the shoe upper, the other side of the shoe upper havingslits therein through which the links are projected with the linksinterlocked with each other outwardly ofthe slits, the link adjacent theupper link having crossed slots therein and the upper link proje tedthrough the longitudinal slot of the adjacent link and subsequentlytwisted out of aliuement with the longitudinal slot, and eye memberssupporting the links capable of rotary move ment in the shoe upp'er. c

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRANK T. MALICH.

